


...with only the autonomy of their shameless spirit.

by SorryFreudianSlip



Series: so close that your hand on my chest is my hand [5]
Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Ableist Language, Cute nerds in love, Cute puppies, Established Relationship, Fluff, Homophobic Language, M/M, Swearing, Vladimir loves dogs, like wow he loves em
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2015-08-15
Packaged: 2018-04-14 22:11:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4581993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SorryFreudianSlip/pseuds/SorryFreudianSlip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt could hear the dog snoring, little snuffling breaths around Vladimir’s shoes.<br/>“Vladimir, as much as I admire your warm and compassionate personality-”<br/>“Of course.”<br/>“-we don’t have room for strays.”<br/>“There was room for me, no?”</p><p>Vladimir brings home a puppy. Matt tries to be a good sport.</p>
            </blockquote>





	...with only the autonomy of their shameless spirit.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This was for a prompt where Vladimir gets Matt a dog. I sort of changed it up a bit. Warnings for Ableist Language (from Vladimir, and not meant to be cruel towards Matt) and Homophobic Language at the end.

“Vladimir.”

“Yes?”

“That’s a dog.”

“Yes. Well, a pup.” He sounded ecstatic. Shit.

“Vladimir,” Matt took off his glasses, rubbing at his eyes. “Why is there a dog in our house?”

“Well...” Vladimir said, patting the dog on the head. “It get colder outside, and he need warm home.”

“He’s a stray?”

“Not anymore.”

Matt could hear the dog snoring, little snuffling breaths around Vladimir’s shoes.

“Vladimir, as much as I admire your warm and compassionate personality-”

“Of course.”

“-we don’t have room for strays.”

“There was room for me, no?”

God damn it.

“He the size of a potato.” Vladimir continued.

“Not for long.”

“My house is big! Nice. If we in your house, ah!” Vladimir wagged his finger. “There’s a problem.”

He scooped up the puppy in one hand. “Say hi.”

“No, no, I’m fine.” Matt said, holding up his hands. “Really, that’s alright, I-oh!”

Vladimir pushed him against Matt’s chest. Matt couldn’t exactly drop the thing, and held it by the scruff.

“Oh, hello.” The puppy sneezed, and began to whine.

“You not hold him like that!” Vladimir cried. “Like this. Idiot.”

This was not a position Matt wanted to be in. He cradled the dog in the crook of his arm while Vladimir cooed over it. Matt could hear the puppy’s little stuttering heartbeat, and the growl of it’s stomach. He didn’t know much about dogs, but he figured the little thing was underweight. He had a scratch in his eye and a hitch in his breathing, and was snuggling into Matt’s chest for warmth. He likely wouldn’t have survived the night. Matt sighed, charmed in spite of himself.

“Please?” Vladimir said, poking at the dog’s tummy.

“It’s yours, not mine.” Matt handed him back to Vladimir, who laughed in triumph.

*

“Niko?”

“He needing a _name_.” Vladimir said pointedly. His intimidation factor was somewhat lessened by the puppy in his lap and the baby bottle in his hand. Niko fed out of it with happy little snorkling sounds.

“Niko was good kid.” Vladimir said, more to himself than Matt. “Got us ciggs from Turk. He was cute.”

Matt could recall a skinny kid from the night he went after Anatoly. He had curly, red hair and a high, shaky voice. Matt had pulled his punches with him. He remembered the smell of blood and-

“Oh!”

Vladimir was bleeding.

“Who’s a vicious little bitch? Oh!” Vladimir sounded delighted. Matt groaned, catching the empty bottle Vladimir threw at him. “Get him more food. Feisty little thing!"

His laughter followed Matt to the kitchen.

* 

“She a girl!” Vladimir exclaimed, throwing open the door. Matt cocked his head from where he sat with his computer.

“We went to the vet.” Karen said, grinning. Niko was wagging her little nub tail, licking at Karen’s hand. Foggy made a choked little noise, rushing over to her.

“Oh god, she’s adorable.”

“Oh yes she is!”

Niko hiccuped. The three of them squealed. Matt knocked his head against the table.

“And what are all those bags?”

“What? Yes!” Vladimir sat beside Matt, opening the bags in his lap. “She has little collar and little leash-”

“I picked them out!” Karen said, with pride.

“-and I give her these shots every night-” Vladimir deposited each item in Matt’s lap.

“-and a little bed!”

Karen and Foggy “aww-ed” over the squishy, overpriced pillow.

“Oh, and the food and bowl!” Vladimir sloshed around a bottle of formula.

Niko had somehow fallen asleep in Karen’s arms, making tiny grumbling noises.

“Wow.” Matt said. “You two, uh, really went to town.”

“I wish I could have gone.” pouted Foggy. He was quickly consoled when Karen passed Niko over.

Matt could hear Vladimir’s grin as slung an arm around Matt’s shoulders.

“She have problems with the larynx.” Vladimir said, rubbing his own throat. “And she cannot see in the one eye.”

“Blind leading the blind.” Matt murmured. Vladimir kissed his temple, and then got up to reclaim his dog.

*

“Vladimir!”

“Yes?”

“It’s on my pillow.”

“Oh, yes she is!” Vladimir rolled over, scratching Niko on her head. She licked the tiny scar she had left on his finger.

“Vladimir.”

“Yes, yes.” He picked her up with a dramatic groan, plopping her down on his chest. She pawed at his face. Matt fell into bed beside him, throwing the pillow on the ground. She didn’t smell bad, just. Weird.

“Didn’t you buy her a bed?”

“Well, yes-” He broke off as Niko put her paw on his lips. He spoke through the corner of his mouth. “-but I get so lonely when my darling leaves at night.”

Matt groaned.

*

“I hate dogs.” Claire complained, as Niko skittered across the floor for the fifth time. Vladimir and Foggy were tossing popcorn around the room for her. She was growing, but her legs were a just a bit too big for her body. She had lost her fluffiness and was starting to eat solid food.

“At least it’s not just me.” Matt winced, pulling his shirt back on. Niko whined at him. She liked to lick at his wounds, which was somewhat cute and somewhat terrifying.

“Claire is inhuman.” Foggy countered. “She hates all animals.”

A popcorn kernel bounced off of Niko’s forehead. She yawned, pawing at it, and curled up on the floor.

“They get hair everywhere and stink up the place.” Claire said, packing up her kit.

“Claire.” Said Foggy. “Look at that thing. Tell me you don’t want to cover her in butter and eat her up.”

“Yeah, no.”

“You get popcorn privileges revoked.” Vladimir said, grabbing the bowl.

“What? I’m on your side! Tell him, Matt.”

“Eh…” Matt said, rolling his shoulder. “I’m with Claire. I’m not good with dogs.”

“What!” Foggy cried. Vladimir pouted, walking to Niko and crouching down beside her.

“My Dad always wanted one, but he was allergic. I don’t know, they’re loud, and smelly, and everyone asks me why I don’t have a guide dog. They just. Lost their charm.”

Vladimir picked her up, rocking her back and forth.

“Well, she loves you.”

Niko licked his nose.

*

“ _Vladimir_!”

“What?” He said, innocuous.

“Stop feeding her off your plate. She’ll learn to beg.”

“Oh, Matvey.” Vladimir said, waving his worries aside. “She’s much too prideful. Sound familiar, da? Oh yes!” Niko put her paws on his thighs as he patted her head.

“She is a little cute. Like someone else I know.” Matt smiled.

“Pah!” Vladimir spat. “Cute indeed! And vicious!”

Niko sneezed. Vladimir nodded in agreement.

*

It was cold as all hell.

Matt hated winter in Hell’s Kitchen. The cold air dulled his nose, and his senses became weak. The ice and snow on the streets were harder for him to navigate, and his cane slid in the slush.

“Your nose is red, like cherry!” Vladimir laughed.

Vladimir was wearing a spring jacket. Sometimes Matt hated him. Matt buried his face into his scarf with a sniff. Vladimirs arm was nice and warm in his, and he narrated Niko’s attempts to catch snowflakes.

So it wasn’t all bad. Perhaps that was why Matt didn’t hear the mugger until he was only a few feet behind them.

“Okay, queers.” A heavy hand landed on Matt’s shoulder. “What do you got?”

He heard an empty gun press against Vladimir’s back.

“Robbing the blind man?” Vladimir laughed. “What an asshole.”

“I’m warning you!” He spat.

“Alright, sir.” Matt said, with a white-knuckled grip on his cane. He moved to turn around.

That’s when Niko bit the absolute shit out of the unfortunate man's ankle.

“Fuck!” He screamed. Matt elbowed him in the ribs as Vladimir howled with laughter.

“Jesus Christ,” He gasped, doubling over.

Matt picked up Niko and hurried them away from from a growing crowd of onlookers. Vladimir’s laughter didn’t help.

"What a good girl." Vladimir said, letting Niko nibble at his hand. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! You can find me at sorryfreudianslip.tumblr.com
> 
> Niko is a Viszla puppy.  
> Matvey=Matthew


End file.
